Station or street indicator



(No Model.) Y f E. B.&, W.- R. LODGE.

, STATION 0R STREET INDICATOR. No. 568,859. Patented Oct. 6,1896.v

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

EDVARD BALLARD LODGE, CLEVELAND, AND VILLIAM RALPH LODGE,

l v OF` CU'YAHOGAFALLS, OHIO.

STATION OR STREET INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,859, dated October 6, 1896.

Application led June l 5, 1 8 9 6- To @ZZ whom t may concer/t:

Be it known that we, EDWARD BALLARD LODGE, residing at Clevelandf Cuyahoga county, and TVILLIAM RALPH LODGE, residing at Cuyahoga Falls, Summit county, State of Ohio, citizensof the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station or Street Indicators for Electric-Railway Cars, of which the following is Io a specification.

This' invention relates to station or street indicators for electric-railway cars in which the indicator is operated by means of an'electric current derived from the trolley-wire througlithe trolley-pole; and the invention consists in the new constructions and combinations substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is zo a perspective view of a portion of the interior of a railway-car, showing the front of the indicator and the wire connection through the trolley-pole to and with the trolley-wire. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the indicator having portions of the casing removed `to show the internal working parts. Fig. 3 is a similar view as Fig. 2, but showing the reverse side of the said working parts. Fig. 4c is a side view of the upper part of the trolleypole, showing the circuit-closer as adapted to operate for directing a shunted current from the trolley-wire to the indicator. Fig. 5 is a transverse viewof the same.

A, Figs. 2 and 3, represents a box or casing for containing the working parts of the indicator.

B B are posts or bars suitably attached to the bottom or walls of the box to provide bearings for two rollers C C. D is a ribbon on which is printed the names of stat-ions or streets, having its ends attached to the said rollers, and which is to be rolled or wound .from one of the rollers to the other, respectively, by means asY follows:

E is a shaft supported in brackets e e, attached to the posts B B. On one end of said shaft is attached a sprocket-wheel E; On the ends of 'the roller-journals are also attached sprocket-pinions G G. E is a chain 5o belt playing on said sprockets. On the op- Serial No. 595,621. (No model.)

posite end of the shaft Fis also attached a notched wheel H.

I is an electromagnet supported on a bar J, attached to the post B. This magnet is of the solenoid type, and the cores t' are attached 5 5 to the cross-bar of a vibratory frame K, pivoted at its lower end to the iioor of the box A.

' L is a Yibratory lever loosely supported on the hub of the wheel l-I.

M is a connecting-rod connecting lever L 6o with a bar 71: on the frame K. On the upper and moving end of the lever L is provided a paw] N, which engages with the notches in the rim of wheel H. rlhe pawl may be reversed or turned over to engage with the notches for rotating said wheel H in either direction, and for convenience of turning it from the outside of the box a rod '11., which forms the pivot in the end of the lever L for the pawl, extends out through the'end wall 7o of the box A, and is provided with a knob and pointer O to indicate the position of the pawl.

Q is a wheel iixed to turn on a bracket q, attached to the Lipper partof the trolley-pole. 75 r lr are arms or extended spokes projecting radially from the rim of the wheel. To the inner ends' of each alternate arm or spoke r is provided a contact-point s, which contacts with a spring t on the pole, from which ex- 8o tend the wires u down to and into the car and connected with the binding-posts p p on the box A, Fig. l.

V V are brackets attached to the trolleywire, depending in sucha manner that as the 8 5 pole travels the arms r r of the wheel Q will strike the lower ends of said brackets and turn the wheel. Two of thesei brackets are used for each station or street and are placed several feet apart, the iirst for turning the 9o wheel for making contact, the second one for breaking contact. This arrangement is for the purpose of having the contact remain for a short time to allow the current ample time to actuate the electromagnet I. 9 5

From the foregoing the operations of this device will be seen to be as follows: The iirst of the two brackets V which the trolley-pole meets strikes the arm r which has no contact-point and turns wheel Q suficiently to Ico the wireu to the elcctromagnet I in the box A.

Said magnet then pulls the frame K toward it and, through the medium of the connectingrod M, lever L, and pawl N, turns the wheel H one notch, and thereby turns the rollers C C, carrying the ribbon, and bringing the naine of the next street or station into View. Vhen the trolley-pole reaches the second bracket V, the arm r which has the contact-point is struck, the Wheel Q is turned and breaks the contact, and presents the next arm r which has no contact-point into position to be struck 011 reaching the next street or station. The current having been cut off from magnet I, the frame K falls back again b v gravity and the impetus of a spring y, and the pawl N is drawn back another notch, and the indicator is set ready for changing again at the next street or station` the name of the last remaining in View until such street or station is reached. \Vhen the indicator is used in the night-time, a light is to be placed in the box back of the ribbon.

It will thus be seen that this device Works automatically and'tllat passengers may at all times sec where the car or train is.

Having described our in vention, we claiml. In a station or street indicator, the combination of box A, posts B B, rollers C C, ribbon D, having station or street names prin ted thereon, shaft E journaled in brackets e e, sprocket-wheel F on said shaft, chain belt F connecting said sprocket with pinions G G, on ribbon-rollers() C, notched wheel H on opposite end of shaft E, electromagnet I, snpported on bar J, pivoted frame K, connected with cores 'it' of electromagnet, lever.L on hub of Wheel H, connecting-rod M, connecting frame K with said leverL, paWlN on end of lever L engaging with the notches in wheel H, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with trolleypole and trolley-wire, of the brackets V V, mounted on the trolley-wire, bracket q attached to trolley-pole, armed wheel Q, having contact-pins s. and mounted on said bracket q, spring t on the trolley-pole adapted to contact with said pins 3, and wire u connecting said springt with the electrmnagnetl in the indicator-box A, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD BALLARD LODGE. YVILLIAM RALPH LODGE.

lVitnesses:

GEO. W. TIBBIT'rs, LEWIS W. Folin. 

